FN:s konvention om barnets rättigheter (barnkonventionen) ratificerades av Sverige 1990 och har sedan dess fått avtryck i fysisk planering genom tillämpningen av begreppet barnperspektiv. Malmö stads vision om den barnvänliga staden, ska erbjuda både goda uppväxtvillkor för barn och goda boendemiljöer för barnfamiljer. För att uppnå detta framgår det i översiktsplanerna att både barnperspektivet och barns perspektiv ska beaktas. I beslutsprocesser som i detaljplaner beaktas barnperspektivet vid planering av förskolor och väldigt lite om barns boendemiljöer (Malmö stad, 2012; 2014; 2018).  Barnkonventionens tredje artikel som utgör konventionens tyngsta princip, uttrycker att barnets bästa ska sättas i främsta rummet vid alla beslut som berör ett enskilt barn eller barn i grupp. I takt med en ökad urbanisering och en förtätningsstrategi i dagens svenska städer, är det viktigt att samhället värnar om goda uppväxtmiljöer för barn. Bostadsgården är ett stadsrum som krymper i takt med förtätningen, vilket medför att barns plats för lekutrymme och närheten till vuxna och hemmet äventyras. Bostadsgården behöver vara en trygg och tillfredsställande miljö som erbjuder tillräckligt med utrymme för att barn ska kunna leka fritt på gården.  Eftersom barnkonventionen blivit svensk lag sedan 1 januari 2020, får den ännu större avtryck vid rättstillämpningen (Unicef, 2020). Detta gör det intressant för studien att undersöka hur planerare beaktar barnets bästa vid planering av bostadsgårdar i Malmö. Studien bygger på tidigare forskning som beskriver bostadsgårdens roll och varför bostadsgården är en miljö som är viktig för barn, men som sedan tar sin grund i barnkonventionens artiklar för att förstå på vilket sätt barnets bästa ska tolkas inom fysisk planering. Vi har valt att definiera barnets bästa vid planering av bostadsgårdar, genom att utgå från följande begrepp: barnperspektivet och barns perspektiv, en god lekmiljö och trygghet. Intervjuer med planarkitekter från Stadsbyggnadskontoret i Malmö, ger studien en bättre förståelse för hur planerare beaktar barnperspektivet i planskedet. Uppsatsens teorier används för att analysera två fysiska projekt, som båda antagits innan konventionen blivit lag. För att få en djupare förståelse för tillämpningen av barnkonventionen i fysisk planering, utgår forskningen även från två offentliga dokument. Därmed tar denna studie fasta på vilka svårigheter det finns med tillämpningen av barnkonventionens artiklar, samt hur dessa ska beaktas vid planering av bostadsgårdar i Malmö. / The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was ratified by Sweden in 1990 and has ever since been imprinted in spatial planning through the application of the concept of child perspective. Malmö city’s vision as the child-friendly city, will offer both, good growing-up conditions for children and good living environments for families with children. To achieve this, the master plans of the city show that both child perspective and children’s perspective should be taken into account. In decision-making processes, detailed plans show that the children's perspective is taken into account when planning preschools but very little about children's living environments (Malmö stad, 2012; 2014; 2018). The third article of the UNCRC, which constitutes the most important principle of the Convention, states that the Best Interests of the Child (BIC) shall be a primary consideration in all decisions concerning an individual child or children in a group. With the increased urbanization and a densification strategy in Swedish cities today, it is important for the society to safeguard good growing-up environments for children. Residential yard is an urban space that shrinks as a result of the densification, which means that children's space for their playing environment, the proximity to adults and the home, is endangered. The residential yard needs to be a safe and satisfactory environment that offers enough space for children to be able to play freely. Since the UNCRC became a Swedish law on the 1st of January 2020, this has an even greater impact in applying the law (Unicef, 2020). This makes it interesting for the study to examine how planners consider BIC when planning residential yards in Malmö. Previous research describes the role of the residential yard and why this environment is especially important for children. We have chosen to define BIC when planning residential yards by using the following concepts: the child perspective and children's perspective, a good playing environment and the security. Through interviews with planning architects from Malmö’s City Planning Office “Stadsbyggnadskontoret”, this study achieves a better understanding for how planners consider child perspective in the planning process. The theories for this research have been used to examine two physical projects, which both were approved before the UNCRC became a law. In order to achieve a deeper understanding of the difficulties in applying the UNCRC in spatial planning, the research is also applying two public investigations. By that, the study focuses on what difficulties there are with the application of the articles of the UNCRC and how these should be taken into account when planning residential yards in Malmö.

This thesis deals with the evaluation of family situation of children placed in children's home. The theoretical part is focused on the current family and its functioning in our cultural background, children's home as an institution, social-legal protection of children and evaluation of the situation of endangered child and its family. The practical part firstly includes opinion of social workers of the Office for Social- legal Protection of Children which affects the process of evaluation of family, number of children placed in institutions and media image of social workers in the Czech Republic. Secondly, it concentrates on the methods of evaluation of children placed in children's home in the form of pedagogical documentation and educational plan of children. At last a brief description of the work of social workers of the Office for Social-legal Protection of Children cooperating with the children already placed in a children's home is included. Keywords Child, childhood, family, children's home, best interest of the child, evaluation of family

The purpose of this thesis is to understand how the Swedish Migration Board and the Social Services interpret the principle of "the best interests ofthe child" based on the specific conditions and tasks of the authorities. The essay strives to deepen the understanding of the street-level bureaucrats'room for action when they interpret and apply the principle of the child'sbest interests, as well as the impact these interpretations can have on thechildren. Scientific research shows that street-level bureaucrats may havelimited room for action when they have to investigate “the best interests of the child”, due to the existing legal framework, which leads to physical orpsychological consequences for the children. This paper will focus on howstreet-level bureaucrats interpret the principle of “the best interests of thechild” and how various legal frameworks of the authorities affect the scopeof action for the social workers. This study is based on nine interviews (fivefrom the Social Services and four from the Swedish Migration Board). It shows the experiences of how these street-level bureaucrats can accommodate the child's best interests in their daily work.

Denna studies syfte var att undersöka hur barnrättsperspektivet diskuteras i domslut gällande vårdnadstvister samt hur stor vikt barnets bästa har i slutligt domslut. Även att undersöka om det finns några likheter och skillnader i motiveringen och domslutet sedan FN:s konvention om barns rättigheter blev en del i svensk lagstiftning. I studien har följande frågeställningar besvarats: Hur diskuteras barnrättsperspektivet i vårdnadstvister och hur stor vikt läggs vid barnets bästa i slutligt domslut? Hur har användandet av barnrättsperspektivet förändrats sedan barnkonventionen blev en del i svensk lagstiftning samt vilka likheter och skillnader finns i motiveringar och domslut i vårdnadstvister? I studien har åtta domslut från tidsperioden 2016–2019 samt åtta domslut från 2020–2023 analyserats genom en jämförande kvalitativ innehållsanalys samt ur ett barndomssociologiskt perspektiv och ett rättssociologiskt perspektiv. Studiens resultat har visat på likheter i tidsperioderna gällande hur stor betydelse ska tillskrivas till faktorer som vårdnadshavarnas samarbete och föräldrarnas förmåga att skydda barnet från en hotfull och skadlig miljö. Likheter gällande saknade diskussioner kring barnets anknytning och barnets delaktighet förekommer även i båda tidsperioderna. Resultatet har visat på utmärkande skillnader i tidsperioderna då det skett en ökning av barnperspektiv i domslut, både genom barnets inkludering och hur barnets åsikter beaktas och tillmäts betydelse. Resultatet påvisar även en reducering gällande diskussionen om barnets anknytning till föräldrarna efter att barnkonventionen blev del av svensk lag. Sammanfattningsvis pekar studiens resultat på en smärre förändring gällande barnperspektivet i de domslut som studerats, sedan barnkonventionen blev en del i svensk lagstiftning. / The purpose of this study was to examine how the best interests of the child are discussed in the judgment of the court regarding child custody cases and how much impact the child's best interest has in the final judgment. Also, to examine similarities and differences in the inquiry and final judgment since the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child became a part of Swedish law. The following questions were answered in the study: How is the child rights perspective discussed in custody cases and how much importance is given to the best interests of the child in the final judgment? How has the use of the child rights perspective changed since the Convention on the Rights of the Child became part of Swedish law and what similarities and differences are there in justifications and judgments in custody cases? In the study, eight verdicts from 2016-2019 and eight verdicts from 2020-2023 have been analyzed through comparative qualitative content analysis and discussed within the theoretical framework of childhood sociology and sociology of law. The results of the study have shown similarities in the periods regarding how much importance should be attributed to factors such as the cooperation of the guardians and the parent's ability to protect the child from a threatening and harmful environment. Similarities regarding missing discussions about the child's attachment and the child's participation also occur in both periods. The results have shown significant differences in the time periods when there has been an increase in the child's perspective in judgments, both through the child's inclusion and how the child's opinions are considered and given importance. The results also show a reduction in the discussion of the child's attachment to the parents after the Convention on the Rights of the Child became part of Swedish law. In summary, the study's results point to a minor change regarding the child perspective in the verdicts studied, since the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child became part of Swedish law.

Esmeralda, som även kom att kallas ”lilla hjärtat”, påträffades avliden hos sina biologiskaföräldrar kort efter att vården av henne enligt LVU upphörde. Som ett resultat av Esmeraldastragiska öde presenterades reformen lex lilla hjärtat, vilken resulterade i flertal lagändringarsom trädde i kraft den 1 juli 2022. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka om och i sådant fall ivilken utsträckning lex lilla hjärtat har fått betydelse för rättstillämpningen. Studien hargenomförts med hjälp av en kvalitativ forskningsmetod och med dokument i form av domarsom behandlar upphörandet av vård av unga enligt LVU 2 § som datainsamlingsmetod.Domarna valdes ut genom ett målstyrt urval och bearbetades genom en tematisk analys. Deteoretiska utgångspunkter som använts i studien är rättssociologi, socialkonstruktivism ochbarndomssociologi. Resultatet från studien visar att lex lilla hjärtat har fått betydelse förrättstillämpningen, dock inte i tillräcklig utsträckning med hänsyn till förväntade effekter.Inledningsvis har det konstaterats att lex lilla hjärtat har medfört aktualiserade krav vidupphörande av vård enligt LVU 2 §. Fortsättningsvis har barnrätten fått en förstärkningmedan beaktandet av föräldrarnas intresse snarare har försvagats. Däremot visar studien attdet fortsatt föreligger brister i hänsynstagandet som görs till principen om barnets bästa samtbarnets perspektiv. / Esmeralda, also called “lilla hjärtat” was found dead at her biological parents house shortlyafter the care of her under the Care of Young Persons Act, ended. As a result of Esmeralda'stragic fate the reform “lex lilla hjärtat” was presented. This led to several changes in the lawthat came into effect on July 1 2022. The purpose of this study is to examine whether and towhat extent “lex lilla hjärtat” has had an impact on the application of law. This study hasbeen based on a qualitative method with documents consisting of verdicts that process thetermination of the care of young persons act, as the data collection method. The verdicts wereselected through a purposive selection and processed with a thematic analysis. The theoreticalperspective that has been used in this study is sociology of laws, social constructivism andchildhood sociology. The result of the study show that “lex lilla hjärtat” has had an impact onthe application of law, although not the expected level of impact. First of all, “lex lillahjärtat” has resulted in higher requirements regarding the termination of the care of youngpersons act. Furthermore the children's rights have been strengthened while the parents'interests have gotten a weakened position. However, this study shows that there is still a lackof consideration to the principle of the best interest of the child and the child's perspective.

The study aims to, based on a critical discourse analysis, study the judgments in administrative courts in LVU cases in order to identify the occurrence of the concept of the best interests of the child and the significance it is given. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child stipulates that childrens’s rights are safeguarded, that children must have the opportunity to participate in decisions that affect them and that in all measures concerning children, the child´s best interests must come first. On January 1, 2020, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child became Swedish law with the aim of further clarifying the rights of the child and ensuring that they are safeguarded and taken into account by law enforcement. Incorporation of the Convention on Rights of the Child is described as having contributed to a more children’s right-based approach in all public activities, which it intends to study and review. Previous research in the field shows that children's participation and decision-making processes that concern them are often deficient, despite the fact that many children wish for increased participation. Previous research has also been able to demonstrate that, however, there are no general guidelines for how the legal objective of the best interests of the child should be achieved in legal processes. The critical discourse analysis used to analyze 10 of the administrative court's judgments in LVU cases has been able to demonstrate that the administrative court does not use the concept of the child's best interest in its assessments and decisions at all.

I denna kandidatuppsats utforskas hur lagstiftningen för unga lagöverträdare mellan 15-17 år som misstänks eller döms för grova brott har förändrats under tidsperioden 1993-2023 ur ett kritiskt barnrättsteoretiskt perspektiv. Under denna tidsperiod ska barnets rättigheter framträda under lagstiftningsprocessen och studiens syfte är att undersöka huruvida barnets rättigheter framkommer vid utvecklingen av nya ungdomspåföljder. Studien belyser den ökade tendensen av lagstiftaren att tillämpa strängare straff som respons på ungdomsbrottslighet och i bekämpandet av kriminella nätverk. Detta  reflekterar ett skifte från fokus på rehabilitering, till allt mer straffande åtgärder med inslag av kontroll och frihetsberövande. Denna studie granskar hur dessa förändringar påverkas av barnets rättigheter enligt FN:s barnkonvention och diskuterar den komplexitet som uppstår när barn misstänks eller döms för grova brott, samt vid utformandet av ungdomspåföljder. Genom riktad kvalitativ innehållsanalys av fyra statliga offentliga utredningar identifierades flera centrala teman, såsom skiftet i ansvarande myndigheter, utveckling av straffsystemets principer, balansen mellan samhällsskydd och rehabilitering, barnkonventionen och barnperspektiv, barnets bästa och barnets behov. Denna studies resultat visar att det har skett en markant ökning av straffande åtgärder, vilket har lett till att unga lagöverträdare i högre grad hamnar inom Kriminalvårdens system snarare än att få stödjande åtgärder från socialtjänsten under senare tid. Detta har resulterat i en förskjutning där samhällsskydd prioriteras framför rehabilitering och barns rättigheter enligt barnkonventionen, där särskilt principen om barnets bästa riskerar att åsidosättas.

In October 2022, the Swedish government announced a political agreement named the Tidö Agreement which presented multiple collaborative projects aimed at facing current societalissues in Sweden. In the agreement, a suggestion regarding increased information sharingbetween professionals in work with children and youth was presented as a part of the crimeprevention work. The aim of this qualitative study is to describe and analyze the role ofinformation sharing when working with children and youth, based on the experience of school counselors', social workers' and police officers'. Data collected from two semi-structured focus group interviews with seven professionals have been thematically analyzed, using Danermark’s (2007) theory of cooperation. The results indicate that political decisionsthat are perceived as difficult to interpret for professionals are used restrictively. In additionto the design of the laws, the respondents request guidance in how existing laws should beapplied, rather than new laws being established. Cooperation between school counselors',social workers' and police officers' seem to be limited by external factors, and multiplebarriers hinders a well-functioning cooperation. An overall conclusion is that politicaldecisions have a clear impact on practical work, and information sharing cannot be solelyreduced to positive or negative aspects.

Title: “The will of the child isn't always what's best for the child” A qualitative study on how family law caseworkers involve children in custody-, residence-, and visitation investigations in cases involving risk factors.  Our study aims to examine how family law caseworkers involve children in custody-, residence-, and visitation investigations in cases involving risk factors. The study also aims to investigate how family law caseworkers perceive the child's own wishes and to what extent the risk factors influence assessments regarding what is in the child's best interest.In this study, a qualitative methodological approach employing qualitative interviews has been utilized, employing a vignette method in combination with semi-structured interviews. The sample consists of eight active family law caseworkers located in southwestern Sweden. A thematic analysis has been conducted to interpret the empirical data.The results have been categorized into four main themes: Child Participation, family lawcaseworkers handling of risk factors, family law caseworkers assessment of the child's best interests, and family law caseworkers' room for action.The study's findings indicate that children are involved to the extent possible, considering their age and maturity. However, family law caseworkers argue that it is their responsibility to protect children from harm, and therefore, the adult perspective sometimes needs to take precedence over the children's own will in decision-making.In summary, the study's results reveal that the child's wishes are not always aligned with what is considered to be in the child's best interest. Additionally, while the child's involvement is highly valued, the presence of risk factors plays a crucial role in family law investigations regarding custody, residence, and visitation.

Denna studie syftar till att undersöka socialsekreterares erfarenheter av hur barns behov och vårdnadshavares samtycke påverkar barnavårdsutredningars arbete och beslut. Studiens tidigare forskning behandlar bedömningar och beslut, samtycke och samarbete med föräldrar, barnets bästa och behov, barnets och föräldrars rättigheter samt socialsekreterares förutsättningar. Studien genomfördes med semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex socialsekreterare från två svenska kommuner, baserat på ett bekvämlighetsurval utifrån ett målstyrt urval. Resultaten visar att socialsekreterarna anser att deras bedömningar av barns behov inte påverkas av vårdnadshavares samtycke. Dock anses beslut om insatser påverkas av vårdnadshavares samtycke, så länge det inte finns skäl för tvångsåtgärder. Socialsekreterarna identifierar bemötande, motivationsarbete, kunskap om arbetets möjligheter och arbetslivserfarenhet som viktiga framgångsfaktorer. Socialsekreterarna upplever organisatoriska begränsningar, resursbrist, en negativ syn av socialtjänsten hos vårdnadshavare samt att rådande lagar är bristfälliga och motstridiga som viktiga motgångsfaktorer. Med grund i studiens resultat dras slutsatsen att vårdnadshavares samtycke kan väga tyngre än barns behov i barnavårdutredningars beslut och att barnets bästa därmed inte alltid har högsta prioritet. Det dras även slutsatsen att det finns mycket som kan begränsa socialsekreterare i deras arbete, men att det också finns många möjligheter inom dessa begränsningar som socialsekreterare kan arbeta utifrån. / This study aims to investigate social workers' experiences of how children's needs and parental consent influence assessments and decisions in child welfare investigations. The study's previous research addresses assessments and decisions, consent and cooperation with parents, the best interests and needs of the child, the rights of children and parents, and the conditions for social workers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six social workers from two Swedish municipalities, using a convenience sample based on purposive sampling. The results show that social workers believe their assessments of children's needs are not influenced by parental consent. However, decisions regarding interventions are considered influenced by parental consent, provided there are no grounds for compulsory measures. Social workers identify treatment of clients, motivational work, knowledge of work opportunities, and work experience as key success factors. They see organizational limitations, resource shortages, negative perceptions of social services by guardians, and inadequate and conflicting laws as key obstacles. Based on the study's results, it is concluded that parental consent can outweigh children's needs in child welfare investigation decisions, and thus the best interest of the child is not always top priority. It is also concluded that while there are many limitations in their work, there are also numerous opportunities within these constraints that social workers can utilize.